Blog

Workers’ comp benefit costs are highest in Washington, for the eighth year running

Last week the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) released its annual report on workers’ compensation benefits, coverage, and costs across states. For 2015 (there’s a two-year lag), Washington’s benefit costs were $788.62 per covered worker. This was the highest in the country, followed by California ($751.70) and Alaska ($719.93). Although Washington’s benefit costs have […]

Workers’ comp rates could decrease next year

The Department of Labor and Industries is proposing that average workers’ compensation rates decrease by 2.5 percent in 2018. If the proposal is adopted in December, it will be the first average rate reduction since 2007. (Rates increased by an average of 0.7 percent in 2017 and 2 percent in 2016.) The announcement from L&I […]

Taking vetoes into account, the budget doesn’t balance over four years (plus, a note on minimum wage disemployment effects)

The Legislature passed a 2017–19 operating budget that balanced over four years; an outlook prepared for the compromise indicated unrestricted ending fund balances of $985 million in 2017–19 and $42 million in 2019–21. But those figures were based on the proposed compromise—they didn’t include any changes made by Legislators prior to voting on the budget on June […]

Novel research adds to our understanding of Seattle’s minimum wage

The UW team that is studying the impacts of Seattle’s minimum wage ordinance released a study yesterday that finds that the increase to $13 last year (for some large employers) resulted in reduced hours for low-wage workers, which had the net effect of lowering their earnings by $125 a month on average. This study is […]

Study finds minimal impacts from Seattle minimum wage law, but the jury’s still out

A new study from Michael Reich, Sylvia Allegretto, and Anna Godoey of the University of California, Berkeley looks at the effects of Seattle’s minimum wage ordinance. The headline finding is that, as the Seattle Times puts it, “Seattle’s minimum-wage law has led to higher pay for restaurant workers without affecting the overall number of jobs […]

Paid sick leave rulemaking is ongoing

Earlier this month, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) released draft proposed rules for I-1433. I-1433, approved by voters last year, increases the state minimum wage (effective Jan. 1, 2017) and mandates paid sick leave statewide (effective Jan. 1, 2018). Paid sick leave is a brand new requirement for many employers—unless they are in […]

Policy issues on the Seattle horizon

Earlier this week the Seattle City Council approved its 2017 work program (via Seattle City Council Insight). Although details are scant, the program provides some idea of the issues councilmembers want to work on this year. Much of the program is carried over from last year, but there are several new items of interest. Affordable […]

Washington’s union membership increase driven by public sector

Union membership in Washington increased in 2016, as Opportunity Washington noted a few weeks ago. Professors Barry Hirsch of Georgia State University and David Macpherson of Trinity University have since updated their data, which includes a break out of public sector and private sector unionization rates by state. In 2016, the total union membership rate […]

Roundup of Seattle business climate issues

Several policies impacting Seattle’s business climate have been in the news recently. Minimum Wage: As of Jan. 1, the minimum wage in Seattle rose to $15 an hour for employees of businesses that have 501 or more workers and don’t offer health benefits. (Other businesses will get there by 2021.) In July, the UW team that […]

Side-by-side comparison of paid family leave bills

Two paid family leave bills have been introduced so far this session: SB 5032 (and the identical HB 1116) and SB 5149. Lens has a good story on the issue. In the tables below, I compare these bills with the paid family leave program that was enacted in 2007 (but never implemented) and with HB […]